Improvement in atmospheric car-brakes



' AfSheets--Sheet l. STEEL 81]. MGNNES.

Atmospheric Gar-Brakes. N 0,155,117I Patented Sept. 15,1874.

fegg

FIG. I.

)4Q-'n awww. Affm/en orar.

YHE GRAPHIC C0. PH OTOLITH.39& 4l PARK PLACE, N Y.

` 4Sheets--Sheet3. l. STEEL l. MGINNES.

Atmospheric Car-Brakes. No.l55,H7. .Patentedsept.15,1s74.

4Sheets--Sheet 4. l. STEEL & J. McINNES. Atmospheric Gar-Brakes.

N0.|55,H7. Patented Sept.15, 874.

FIG

fla. 7

in/c6565.

- l flu/ma UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEc JAMES STEEL AND JOHN MGINNES, OFGLASGOW, NORTH BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN ATMOSPHERIC CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letterslatent No. 155,1] 7, datedSeptember 15, 1874 application led April 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES STEEL and JOHN MGINNES, both of Glasgow, inthe county of Lanark, North Britain, engineers, have invented ImprovedApparatus for Actuating the Brakes of Railway-Trains by Cornpressed Air,part or parts of which are also applicable for signaling inrailway-trains, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to air-brakes in which a supplementaryair-reservoir is combined with each brake-operating piston and cylinder5- and our invention consists chieiiy of certain passages and devices,described fully hereafter, whereby the air is admitted at equal pressureon both sides of each piston, and the latter is operated by withdrawingthe air from either side.

On Sheet 1 of the drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a verticalsection of a compressed-air cylinder and receiver, with attachmentsconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2, Sheet l, is avertical section at right angles to Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 is a sideelevation thereof.

The cylinder A and air-vessel B are shown formed in one casting. Thecylinder A is cast with the upper end close, the lower end being fittedwith a cover, O. The cover O is provided with a stufling-box and gland,D, secured by studs E to the cover O, the space F being filled with anysuitable packing. On the inner side of the cover C a hollow cylindricalprojection, G, is formed, upon which the piston H rests when in itslowestpositionthat is to say, when the brakes are of. The projection Gris provided at the top with an india-rubber ring, I, which acts as acushion to prevent any shock which might arise from the fall of thepiston H. The space between the piston-rod J and the interior of thecylindrical projection G may be lled with packing to further prevent theescape of air from the cylinder A. The piston His packed by acup-leather secured to its upper side by a washer, K, and nut L, whichnut L at the saine time secures the piston H to the pistonrod J, asshown on the drawings. An indiarubber ring, M, is placed upon the washerK, to cushion the shock in the event of the piston striking against thetop of the cylinder.

On the inlet-pipe N is a branch, O, in which is formed a valve chest andseat. The branch O is connected to the air-vessel B by a pipe, I. A ballvalve or clack, Q, accurately fitting the seat in the branch O, preventsthe air from returning by the valve Q. The piston-rod J is coupled` tothe brake apparatus by the connecting-links R, which are shown double,(see Fig. 2,) in order that they may clear the draghook X. These linksR-actuate the lever S, fixed upon the brake-shaft T, which is operatedcorrespondingly with the movement of the piston in the cylinder A. Inapplying our invention to a vehicle running upon bogies, the brake-shaftT is connected to the pistonrod J by means of a flexible coupling, suchas a chain or connecting-rod tted with a universal joint, so as to allowfor the movement of the body of the carriage upon the swivelpins of thebogies, as hereinafter set forth. The brake shaft T is carried inbrackets U, bolted to the lower frame-work of the carriage.' The brakecylinder and receiver are fixed to the lower frame-work and Hoor of thecarriage by bolts V, which pass through a ange formed upon the sides ofthe air-vessel B. The air-vessel B projects through the end of thecarriage, and is situate below the seat Y, as shown in section at Fig.1, Sheet l. The coupling, whereby communication is effected between thecylinders on the different.

carriages, is shown particularly at Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet l. Openings Ware formed at the upper'part of the air-cylinder A. Caoutchouc or otherelastic rings X lill recesses formed for their reception in the faces Y.Tol keep the elastic rings X in their places, metallic rings Z arebolted on the faces Y, the interior edges of which rings Z overlap tosome extent the elastic rings X, and thus hold them in position.Projections et are formed opposite the faces Y, and then are bushed withscrewed nuts b, through which the screws c pass, the centers of whichare opposite to the centers of the openings W. The innerextreinities ofthe screws c are provided with anti-friction thimbles d, and the outereXtremities with vise handles e, by which the screws c are actuated. Ahollow metallic T-piece is held between the thimble d and the elasticring X, the pressure y imparted by tightening the screw c beingsufficient to insure an air-tight joint between the circular ilat edgeof the hollow metallic T-piece and the face of the elastic ring X. Thejunction of the T-piece and the ieXible tube which connects thecylinders is effected by forming a nozzle or projection, g, upon theT-piece,

`necessary apparatus for operating our iinproved air-brake apparatus. Anair-pump, A, is shown bolted to the lire-box of the locomotive-boiler,and it is driven by a small steam-engine situate on the other side ofthe fire-box, (but not seen on the drawings,) which drives thecrank-shaft 0. The air is pumped through the tubing B into the tubularreceiver O. Upon a branch pipe, D, projecting from the receiver C, isfastened a two-way cock, E, by means of which the pressure of air fromthe receiver C may either be directed through the tubing F to thecylinders on the carriages, or it may be entirely cut oft' therefrom ordirected into the atmosphere, at pleasure.

Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is a part side elevation and part section of twocovered railway-carriages, showing our improved air-brake. Fig. 6 is anend elevation of a similar covered railwaycarriage.

As shown at Fig. 5, Sheet 3, the air-cylinders A at either end of eachcarriage are connected in their upper parts at the pipe N by theflexible tube Near one end of the carriage the signaling-whistle C issituated. The si gnaling-whistle C may be operated from the interior ofthe carriage by means of a wire, cord, or chain, (not shown on thedrawi11gs,) but which is led along the root` of the carriage andattached to the lower extremity ofthe lever c, fastened to the spindleof the whistlevalve ot' the signaling apparatus C, and which is thussounded; or the flexible tube x may be led into the interior of thecarriage, and a cock or valve placed thereon, by operating which thewhistle Gis sounded. The lever d, standing at right angles to the leverc, carries a counter-weight, which shuts the valve of the whistle C, onthe pulling strain being removed from the wire, cord, or chain.

The brake-blocks m, Sheet 3, are actuated from the piston-rods J throughthe connecting-links R, which actuate the levers S, fixed upon thebrake-shafts T. From the brakeshafts T the brakes d are operated in theordinarymanner by the levers c and connecting-rodsf. The brake-shaft Tis carried by brackets U, bolted to the lower frame-work of thecarriage.

The mode of operating our invention is as follows: A sufficient pressureof air having been raised in the receiver O by the air-pump a, Sheet 2,the two-way cock E is opened, allowing the air to travel through thetubing F into the air cylinder on the first carriage, whence it issuesthrough the pipes on the carriage-root' to the air-cylinder at theopposite end of the carriage, and thence, similarly, through the iexiblepipes and couplings to the several other ,cylinders and air apparatusthroughout the train. When it is desired to apply the brakes, theair-pressure is removed from above the pistons H, (either by theengine-man turning the two-way cock on the engine so as to let oft' theair above theV pistons, or which may be accomplished by a passengerpulling one of the cords, or operating any of the cocks by which the airescapes, to sound the signaling apparatus.) The air conlined in theair-vessel B, and under part of the cylinder A, under pressure thenexpands and lifts the piston H, carrying with it the piston-rods J andlinks R, which actuate the levers S, and through it the brake-shafts T,which operations, as will be seen by reference to Sheet 3, apply thebrakes by operating the levers e and connecting-rods f. To withdraw thebrakes the pressure of air is again admitted to the upper part of thecylinder A, which throws the pistons H into equilibrium, when their ownWeight and the weight of their attachments, which may or may not beaided by counter-weights or springs, causes the piston to fall to thebottom of the cylinder A, and thus withdraw the brakes.

The coupling operation, whereby the air-cylinders on the adjoiningcarriages or vehicles composing the train are connected, is effected byplacing the T-piece coupling, Fig. 2, Sheet l, between the innerextremity of the screw c and the face of the elastic rings X, andscrewing up the coupling rmly in that position by means of thevise-handle. iiXing the T-piece coupling is placed on both sides of eachcylinder A, and each cylinder A is provided with two eXible tubes andcouplings, one or both of which may be used to connect the cylinders ofadjoining carriages. When in action the cylinders are coupled togetherby both flexible pipes; but in uncoupling them for the purpose ofdisconnecting the carriages, it is necessary only to unscrew onecoupling on each carriage, and at the opposite sides of the respectivecylinders, so that one of the flexiblev tubes is left hanging to eachcylinder, thus allowing the flexible tubes and couplings always to cometogether in proper position for being recoupled, whether the same endsof the carriages are brought opposite to each other or not. In the eventof a rupture of one ofthe flexible tubes between the cylinders onadjoining carriages taking place, the coupling-hole on the cylinder maybe closed by the thimble on the end of the coupling-screw being pressedinto it by the screw and connection maintained by the pipes foroperating the The apparatus for brakes. At the end elevation of the lastcarriage of a train, shown at Fig. 6, Sheet 3, both 'of the couplings ofone ilexible pipe, f, are

shown applied to the opposite sides of the same air-cylinder, thusclosing the openings and preventing the escape of air at the lastcylinder, or otherwise the exible pipes and couplings maybe withdrawn,in which vcase v the openings are closed by the thimbles on the ends ofthe screws c.

An important feature of our improved airbrake apparatus is that, as thepressure oi' air is in constant action throughout the train, it may atany time be instantaneously applied; and in the event of the ordinaryscrew or chain couplings breaking, so that the train becomesdisconnected while running, the airpressure on the upper side of `thepistons being withdrawn by escaping through the broken air-pipes causesthe brakes on each section of the broken train to be simultaneouslyapplied, thereby stopping both parts of the train.

Fig. 7, Sheet 4, is a side elevation of a railway-carriage (running onbogies, and having a doorway through each end) to which our invention isshown applied. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. l. As the doorwayprevents the application of a single cylinder at the center of each endof the carriage, as shown on Sheet 3, two cylinders are used, one ateach side of either doorway, each cylinder having y reservoir, B,communicating therewith, piston to both sides of which air is admittedunder pressure, and an outlet in the cylin der through which the air maypass from one side of the piston, all as described.

2. The combination of the cylinder A, opening w, screw o provided with athimble, d, and a pipe having a T-head confined to the mouth of theopening by the screw, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe,presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES STEEL. [L. JOHN MCINNES. [L.

Witnesses:

EDWARD FISHER BAMBER, JOHN CLARK.

